Are you a teacher or student involved in your school’s French club? As you know, finding fun activities and games centered on learning French can be difficult. That’s why we’ve rounded up 20 fun French club ideas to help inspire you. These games and activities will introduce members to both French language and culture. 1. Make a French Music Playlist Using Spotify or Pandora, create your… Read more →

1.Duolingo

Price: FreeDescription
Duolingo is a free language-learning platform that includes a language-learning website and app, as well as a digital language proficiency assessment exam. Duolingo offers all its language courses free of charge.It is one of the most comprehensive and best-rated language-learning apps out there. Grammar, vocabulary, and phrases are organized into different topics which you work through in small, bite-sized lessons. Earn points for correct answers, and level up.

2.Le Conjugueur

Price: Free & paid versionsDescription
Brush up on your grammar, this handy app. With le conjugueur, you can look up 9,000 French verbs to find out how to conjugate them in any tense. The best part is that you don’t even have to be connected to the internet. Language learning on the go you say; oui cher ami.Cool features:

Conjugate all French verbs without being connected to the internet

Find a verb from a conjugated form

Conjugation in active & passive mode.

3.Learn French – Speak French

Price: FreeDescription
This app claims to not just teach you French, but to make you fall in love with it. With over 50 million users worldwide, this app is a must have for every French language learners.Cool features:

Comprehensive understanding of French

Vocabulary and grammar units,

Audio dialogues

Learn the most important 150 topics and 3000 words

Test your knowledge

And my favorite: submit practice exercises to native speakers that will help you perfect your skills.

4.Memrise

Price: FreeDescription
I am a big fan of Memrise. It is one of the most innovative apps for learning French words especially if you’re struggling to remember French words after a while.
Innovative because it doesn’t just teach words through pictures. It teaches you French words through humor.
Just look at what they have on their landing page:Learning, made joyfulWe make learning languages and vocab so full of joy and life, you’ll laugh out loud.
That says it all.
Memrise is a really creative and fun way of tackling one of the most difficult problems that many language learners have acquiring vocabulary.Cool features:

Learn new vocabulary

Podcasts to learn French

1. Daily French Pod

Price: Free & paidDescription
Daily French Pod offers well-planned and succinct lessons to introduce you to the language. They are based on everyday situations. The lessons are entirely in French. The pace of spoken French is normal speed. Please note that it is not suitable for an absolute beginner.Cool features:

Learn French for everyday situation

Lessons entirely in French for full immersion

Improve comprehension

Improve writing (PDF supporting materials including transcripts are available for download).

Hello! Bonjour tout le monde!

It’s time for your French lesson! From your very first lesson of French, if you’ve had any, you had to learn how to ask a few questions. Basics being “what’s your name?” or “How are you?”. Today I want to share with you the best three techniques to ask a question in French.

Let’s go!

1) Translate “Do you … ?”

In order to translate a questions such as “Do you like to cook”. You need to convert the English semi-auxiliary into the French “magic” question – structure, “est-ce que”. It is impossible to give a proper idea of what that segment means by itself, but just keep in mind that is idiomatic of the French language and necessary in any “do-you” questions.

Structure:

Do you like coffee?
=> Est-ce que tu aimes le café ?

Pretty simple, no?

A few more examples:

– Do you have a lighter? = > Est-ce que tu as un briquet ?
– Does he have a wife? => Est-ce qu’il a une femme ?
– Do they want a cat? = Est-ce qu’ils veulent un chat ?

2) WH- questions

Who = Qui
What = Que / qu’
When = Quand
Why = Pourquoi
Where = Où
How = Comment
How many / much = Combien

They are tools to introduce an open question requiring a specific information and not just a yes / no question.

Since “est-ce que” is the main structure for a regular level of communication (that is, not too fancy, not too thug), you’re 95% likely to use your question word with it.

What do you want. = Qu’est-ce que tu veux ?
Where does he go? = Où est-ce qu’il va ?
When do we eat? = Quand est-ce qu’on mange ?
How much does it cost? = Combien est-ce que ça coûte ?

Exception: Most of the time we don’t use “est-ce que” with “qui.
Who’s hungry?

= Qui a faim ? Not “Qui est-ce qui a faim”

3) Inversion

Just like in English, you can ask a question by reversing the subject and verb of a sentence.
You are hungry = Are you hungry?
Tu as faim. = As-tu faim ?

BUT:

In French, it is less common, therefore, mainly use in the written language or for a fancy / polite conversation.

4) The easiest way.

If you want to keep it simple, it is highly common, among friend or close relative, to simply add a question mark.

You are hungry? = Tu as faim ?

If people can hear your intonation rise to ask a question, they will understand that you are not simply stating “You are hungry”. Be careful, this might work in an informal context but not when addressing a teacher, employer or in any written form, since it isn’t grammatically correct. Keep it for chit-chat.

You have a dog? = Tu as un chien ?
She likes fruits? = Elle aime les fruits ?
You have money? = Tu as de l’argent ?
Here you go! You are now a master at asking anything you want, no matter the situation! Congrats!

So you’ve spent hours learning grammar and writing essays in French. You deserve a break, right? But deep down, there’s a little niggle saying you should keep on studying. Sigh. Well, take that break. You deserve it. But to keep the niggle at bay, try listening to some of these awesome French musicians. (Psst…When I say French here, I don’t just… Read more →

Watching foreign films or television series are both excellent ways to help you learn French.It helps you gather a better understanding of the daily lifestyle and expressions that FrenchÂ may use whilst consolidating your existing vocabulary. It can help you fine-tune your listening skills to adapt to the various speeds and accents you may encounter.

Fear not though, you can turn to the more manageable and reliable medium that is television. The two huge advantages that television has over film are those of time management (easier to fit around your schedule) and story depth (longer running time= longer character arcs and plotlines).

For this reason I have compiled a list of the best French language television series out there, past and present.

2.Â Un Village FranÃ§ais

Plot: Drama set in the fictional town of Villeneuve during the Nazi occupation. Seen through the eyes of the populace, the prolonged state of fear brings out the best and worst in people, as the town rallies together to make it through this most trying of times.

Why watchÂ it? One for the history buffs among you. An in-depth portrayal French life during this period, set against the historical backdrop of the Vichy government.

4.Â Un Gars, une Fille

Plot: A detailed look into the lives and relationship of a French couple. Loving, laughing, crying, shouting and back to loving. No stone is left unturned in this study of their everyday existence, and their consequences that can make or break even the most solid of connections.

Why watchÂ it? One of Franceâ€™s most popular television series, it is a firm fixture of the countryâ€™s pop culture. Originally from Quebec, the French adaptation has shortened the episode lengths down to seven minutes each â€“ making for an ideal bite sized lesson somewhere in your day.

5.Â Engrenages

Plot: Police and legal drama series centering on the working relationship between the Parisian police and the justice system, as they work together to maintain peace and order in society.

Why watchÂ it? Detectives, lawyers, judges, criminals. Whatâ€™s not to like? Fans of crime shows in particular should make a note of it, as should anyone trying to take their study to the next level, as the language does become quite intricate at times.

7.Â Les Revenants

Plot: The serenity of a sleepy rural town is shattered by the inexplicable supernatural phenomena that start occurring. Sudden power outages, water levels depleting, weird skin marks and, most significantly, the return of their deceased loved ones.

Why watchÂ it? A fresh take on a familiar supernatural/fantasy genre, breathing some now life into the publicâ€™s enduring fascination with zombies.

9.Â Bref

Plot: Follow â€˜Iâ€™, a nameless 30 year old, through the monotony of his day-to-day existence, as he struggles to meet the basic goals that he believes constitutes a successful life.

Why watchÂ it? A more insightful view of modern French culture is on offer in this frank series. However, the dialogue is very fast-paced, with most characters speaking at a relatively high-speed. As such, it may not be suitable for beginner to intermediate levels.

10.Â Plus Belle la Vie

Plot: Soap opera based in the fictional â€œle Mistralâ€ neighbourhood in the Mediterranean port-city of Marseille. With more plot twists than a Hollywood movie, and plenty of melodrama, itâ€™s more escapist than realistic in its portrayal of contemporary France.

Why watch it? While perhaps not considered to be the apex of highbrow intellectual viewing, the show is extremely entertaining.

Plot: Adapted from the original Spanish show â€œEscepas de Matrimonioâ€, watch three couples of differing generations and the ways they make their relationships work for them. Each of the couples offers a different perspective, depending on where they are in their lives, of the diverse joys and dilemmas that they face.

Why watchÂ it? A closer look into the â€˜averageâ€™ French household. Well adapted from the original material. At times the humour can be quite dark, which may or may not be your cup of tea.

14.Â Mafiosa

Plot: After the murder of her notorious uncle, Sandra Paoli must take her place at the head of her familyâ€™s clan of the Corsican mafia. Assisted out by her brother, she dives head first into a world of violence, drugs, sex and money.

Why watchÂ it? A feminist twist on the tried and tested crime drama genre, allegedly a dramatisation of the life of Sandra Casanova-Germani, sister of Jean-Luc Germani, currently Franceâ€™s most wanted man. See the rise to power of a woman overcoming adversity (despite she is a criminalâ€¦), to prove that she deserves her title in the macho environment of organised crime. If The Sopranos and Weeds got together, then this would be their love child.

Plot: Another French-Japanese animation creation. Aimed at children, weâ€™re presented with an interactive tour of the human body and its various bits and pieces in an educational format.

Why watchÂ it? Unless theyâ€™re particularly interested in expanding their French anatomy vocabulary, adults might want to give this one a miss. It is however, an excellent tool to help teach your kids French, while they might also learn a thing or two about blood vessels along the way.

We all know that being bilingual (or even multilingual) increases your ability to communicate with more people across the world, which is a pretty cool perk to learning another language. But did you know that being bilingual helps you in far more ways than just communication? Here are 10 things that you can do better when youâ€™re bilingual:

Noisy Classroom? No Problem!

New studiesÂ carried out by Anglia Ruskin University have shown that bilingual children are better at tuning out noise. This means that bilingual students are better able to learn and concentrate in a noisy classroom that their monolingual classmates. This ability to concentrate despite the distractions going on around them leads to an overall better school performance. A great reason to start learning a new language while youâ€™re young? We think so.

Improved Problem Solving

According to theÂ New York Times, studies have shown that bilinguals are able to solve certain mental puzzles quicker than their monolingual counterparts. This is because they are used to directing their attention between conflicting thought processes (like two different languages) and are better able to channel this same focus to other tasks.

Closer Attention to Surroundings

Not only are bilinguals better at ignoring distractions, they are also better at paying attention to the environment around them. As they switch between languages, making a judgement on what is being said to them in a certainÂ language and how to respond, sharpens their ability to keep track of their environment and its changes. Observation and Monitoring tasks? Advantage bilinguals!

Superior Listening Skills

Learning other languages also helps withÂ listening skills. Bilinguals are much more adept at recognising other languages â€“ even ones that they donâ€™t actually speak! Not only does this help you when there are foreign accents around you, but it also helps theÂ listening skills in your primary language. Youâ€™ll be better at picking up subtle nuances in other peopleâ€™s speech, thus improving your overall communication.

Better Memory

Learning a second language is beneficial for overall cognitive development, including memory. Since bilinguals have to store two sets of vocabulary in their mind and are used to accessing the correct one, they get great practice at storing and using information. Plus, good memory helps with studying, another reason bilingual students do better in school than monolinguals.

Big Crowds, Better Focus

Trying to find your way in a crowded train station? Studying in a loud coffee shop? No worries if youâ€™re bilingual. In fact, it might actually beÂ easierÂ in the chaos for those who are used to it â€“ zoning out external distractions becomes almost second nature.

A Different Point of View

The great thing about changing between languages is that youâ€™re better able to change your perspective and to think in different ways. AnÂ interesting studyÂ looked at how people acted differently when they were asked to make decisions with varying degrees of risk and uncertainty. Participants were asked in their first and second language, and showed different behavioural patterns as they switched languages. The idea is that because a different language forces you to think differently, it also influences your behaviour, allowing you to escape a singular paradigm of thought

Master Multitasking

Since bilinguals are used to switching quickly between languages while blocking out distracting influences, this naturally helps in their ability to multitask. And frankly, what better skill could you have in the 21st century, when youâ€™re bombarded with new information and new tasks from all sides? Being able to multitask is an incredibly valuable asset in this busy world. A great added perk of being bilingual!

Life-Long Benefits

An amazingÂ thing about being bilingual is that the benefits extend throughout your whole life. Research has shown that bilinguals have a greater resistance than monolinguals toÂ the onset of dementia and Alzheimerâ€™s disease. The greater your degree of bilingualism, the later in life these diseases are likely to affect you, if youâ€™re susceptible. Think of learning a second language as a long term investment in your mental health.

More Languages? More Money!

If the cognitive benefits arenâ€™t enough for you, hereâ€™s aÂ financial incentive:Â researchÂ shows that people who speak more languages earn more money than people who can speak only one. This makes sense when you consider that we live in a globalised world; contact with foreign countries and other languages is inevitable. Being able to speak another language gives you a competitive advantage in the workplace. Youâ€™re more likely to get hired and companies have more incentive to pay you more money. And hey, money talksâ€¦

With so many great benefits to learning a second language, from school to old age, what are you waiting for?Contact usÂ today to find a language course near you!